righteous, righteousness

The Greek, Hebrew, and Latin terms that are translated in English mostly as “righteous” as an adjective or personified noun or “righteousness” (also as “upright(ness)” and “just(ice)”) are most commonly expressed with concept of “straightness,” though this may be expressed in a number of ways. (Click or tap here to see the details)

Following is a list of (back-) translations of various languages:

  • Bambara, Southern Bobo Madaré, Chokwe (ululi), Amganad Ifugao, Chol, Eastern Maninkakan, Toraja-Sa’dan, Pamona, Batak Toba, Bilua, Tiv: “be straight”
  • Laka: “follow the straight way” or “to straight-straight” (a reduplicated form for emphasis)
  • Sayula Popoluca: “walk straight”
  • Highland Puebla Nahuatl, Kekchí, Muna: “have a straight heart”
  • Kipsigis: “do the truth”
  • Mezquital Otomi: “do according to the truth”
  • Huautla Mazatec: “have truth”
  • Yine: “fulfill what one should do”
  • Indonesian: “be true”
  • Navajo (Dinė): “do just so”
  • Anuak: “do as it should be”
  • Mossi: “have a white stomach” (see also happiness / joy)
  • Paasaal: “white heart” (source: Fabian N. Dapila in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 415ff.)
  • (San Mateo del Mar Huave: “completely good” (the translation does not imply sinless perfection)
  • Nuer: “way of right” (“there is a complex concept of “right” vs. ‘left’ in Nuer where ‘right’ indicates that which is masculine, strong, good, and moral, and ‘left’ denotes what is feminine, weak, and sinful (a strictly masculine viewpoint!) The ‘way of right’ is therefore righteousness, but of course women may also attain this way, for the opposition is more classificatory than descriptive.”) (This and all above from Bratcher / Nida except for Bilua: Carl Gross; Tiv: Rob Koops; Muna: René van den Berg)
  • Central Subanen: “wise-good” (source: Robert Brichoux in OPTAT 1988/2, p. 80ff. )
  • Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: “live well”
  • Mezquital Otomi: “goodness before the face of God” (source for this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • Eastern Huasteca Nahuatl: “the result of heart-straightening” (source: Nida 1947, p. 224)
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “entirely good” (when referred to God), “do good” or “not be a debtor as God sees one” (when referred to people)
  • Carib: “level”
  • Tzotzil: “straight-hearted”
  • Ojitlán Chinantec: “right and straight”
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “walk straight” (source for this and four previous: John Beekman in Notes on Translation November 1964, p. 1-22)
  • Makonde: “doing what God wants” (in a context of us doing) and “be good in God’s eyes” (in the context of being made righteous by God) (note that justify / justification is translated as “to be made good in the eyes of God.” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
  • Aari: The Pauline word for “righteous” is generally rendered by “makes one without sin” in the Aari, sometimes “before God” is added for clarity. (Source: Loren Bliese)
  • North Alaskan Inupiatun: “having sin taken away” (Source: Nida 1952, p. 144)
  • Nyamwezi: wa lole: “just” or “someone who follows the law of God” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Venda: “nothing wrong, OK” (Source: J.A. van Roy in The Bible Translator 1972, p. 418ff. )
  • Ekari: maakodo bokouto or “enormous truth” (the same word that is also used for “truth“; bokouto — “enormous” — is being used as an attribute for abstract nouns to denote that they are of God [see also here]; source: Marion Doble in The Bible Translator 1963, p. 37ff. ).
  • Guhu-Samane: pobi or “right” (also: “right (side),” “(legal) right,” “straightness,” “correction,” “south,” “possession,” “pertinence,” “kingdom,” “fame,” “information,” or “speech” — “According to [Guhu-Samane] thinking there is a common core of meaning among all these glosses. Even from an English point of view the first five can be seen to be closely related, simply because of their similarity in English. However, from that point the nuances of meaning are not so apparent. They relate in some such a fashion as this: As one faces the morning sun, south lies to the right hand (as north lies to the left); then at one’s right hand are his possessions and whatever pertains to him; thus, a rich man’s many possessions and scope of power and influence is his kingdom; so, the rich and other important people encounter fame; and all of this spreads as information and forms most of the framework of the people’s speech.”) (Source: Ernest Richert in Notes on Translation 1964, p. 11ff.)
  • German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999): Gerechtheit, a neologism to differentiate it from the commonly-used Gerechtigkeit which can mean “righteousness” but is more often used in modern German as “fairness” (Berger / Nord especially use Gerechtheit in Letter to the Romans) or Gerechtestun, also a neologism, meaning “righteous deeds” (especially in Letter to the Ephesians)
  • “did what he should” (Eastern Highland Otomi)
  • “a clear man, good [man]” (Mairasi) (source: Enggavoter 2004)

See also respectable, righteous, righteous (person), devout, and She is more in the right(eous) than I.

Translation commentary on Proverbs 12:5

Verses 5-6 contrast the plans and words of the righteous with those of the wicked, and in verse 7 the contrast is that the wicked are defeated while the righteous stand firm.

“The thoughts of the righteous are just”: This saying compares the thinking or mind of good people with that of the wicked. “Thoughts” are here more than words; they are “plans” or “intentions” used in a good sense. “Just” renders the Hebrew word for “judgment.” The term is used in Job 29.14 where Job speaks of wearing justice as a robe and turban. The sense is to do the right thing or to act justly or fairly (see “justice” in 1.3). In this verse it is the plans or purposes of good people in their fair treatment of others.

“The counsels of the wicked are treacherous”: “Counsels” in line 2 has much the same sense as “thoughts” in line 1. The same word is used in 11.14 (translated “guidance”) in the sense of advice or admonition. “Treacherous” contrasts with fairness in line 1 and means deceitful or unfair.

In many languages this verse needs to be restructured so that “the righteous” and “the wicked” are the subjects of the contrasting statements. See Good News Translation, which offers a good model translation.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

complete verse (Proverbs 12:5)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 12:5:

  • Kupsabiny: “The righteous person thinks about doing justice/truth,
    but what a wicked person says are lies.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The hearts of the righteous
    are full of good thoughts,
    but the advice of the wicked
    can never be trusted.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “What a righteous man thinks is right; what a wicked man advices/counsels is pure deceit.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The purpose of the righteous/just is right/correct, but trickery is the purpose of one-who-is-cruel/malicious.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “What righteous people want to do is to treat people fairly;
    what wicked people want to do is to deceive people.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 12:5

12:5

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

5a
The plans of the righteous are just,

5b but the counsel of the wicked leads to deceit.

12:5a

The plans of the righteous are just: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as plans is literally “thoughts.” Most English versions translate it that way. The word can be used in the bad sense of “schemes” (see 6:18a), but here it is used in a good sense. A righteous person thinks or plans what will be fair or just to others.

The word righteous here is plural in Hebrew. In 12:10a, it is singular. Both words refer to righteous people in general. You may use either singular or plural in your language, depending on what is more natural.

Some versions use “you” pronouns in this verse, so the writer seems to address the readers or audience directly. For example:

Honest people will treat you fairly (Good News Translation)

Other versions do not address the readers directly. For example:

The plans that good people make are fair (New Century Version)

Use a natural way in your language to translate this kind of proverb.

12:5b

but the counsel of the wicked leads to deceit: The counsel or advice of the wicked is intended to deceive others. Some ways to translate this line using the pronoun “you” are:

the wicked only want to deceive you (Good News Translation)
-or-
but you should never trust the advice of someone evil (Contemporary English Version)

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